S. Chinnasamy (64), a retired headmaster of a government-aided school who has turned a farmer, is elated as the improvised water and seed management technique he adopted on his own has paid rich dividends.
He raised paddy over 10 acres using drip irrigation against the conventional method of water logging the fields and used an inventive seed application technique. The paddy is ready for harvesting and Mr. Chinnasamy is happy that more efficient rice tillers are available now.
Water management
“I experimented with drip irrigation, instead of the usual practice of water logging. This way only the root zones of the crop were watered. And the amount of water normally required to irrigate one acre of paddy now irrigated three acres,” said Mr. Chinnasamy. Efficient seed management also added up to his net profit margins.
“Seeds were put directly in the field adopting a typical space pattern. Only two kilograms of seeds were used per acre instead of the 25 kilograms required in the traditional method of scattering the seeds ”, he pointed out.
Assistant Director of Agriculture M. Mahalingam, who was all praise for the innovative practice tried out by Mr. Chinnasamy, said that the space provided between the plants allowed enough sunlight and ventilation and enabled the farmer to control pests more efficiently. “Moreover, the drip irrigation providing alternate wetting and drying cycles is mainly responsible for the healthy grains that have come up”, he said.
